img src="http://www.fao.org/figis/servlet/IRS?iid=54924
" alt="Click to enlarge"/ Click for enlarged image The development of resistant strains of disease-causing microorganisms is an important health issue of global concern. When microbes such as bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses become resistant to antimicrobial substances, the diseases they may cause become more difficult or impossible to treat. Resistance is developed by the indiscriminate use of antimicrobials and places human health at risk. The discovery of antibiotics revolutionized medicine, creating a belief that a 'magic bullet' had finally been found to control bacterial diseases. Antibiotics, a class of antimicrobial agents, kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria, but they have no significant effect on other types of microorganisms such as viruses. "Bacteria, the oldest life form on this planet have survived 4 billion years due to their remarkable ability to adapt to changes in their environment... any 'resistance' gene present in any member of any species in the microbiome has the potential to transfer to any other species" says Dr Peter Smith of Ireland. National delegates representing China, Malaysia, the Philippines and Viet Nam; fish health experts from India, Ireland, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Viet Nam and the United States; and representatives of the Government of India, Nitte University, FAO, NACA and the OIE are participating at an international workshop to address antimicrobial use (AMU) and AMR in aquaculture, convened by FAO and Nitte University, in Mangalore, India, 10-12 April. Dr J.K. Jena, Deputy Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, highlighted the importance of aquaculture and the need to address issues related to diseases and the irresponsible use of veterinary drugs. "Strengthening laboratory networks and increasing AMU/AMR awareness as well as research on safety, efficacy and withdrawal period, resistance mode and process of transfer of resistance for different antimicrobials are needed", he said.
In his Presidential Address, the Vice-Chancellor of Nitte University, Professor Ramananda Shetty, urged interdisciplinary studies to be undertaken as all sectors have a responsibility towards this burning problem. He emphasized the need for regulation of antibiotic sales, responsible implementation of treatment regimens by the doctors and diligent attention to medical advice by the patients. The complexity of the issue calls for a "One Health" platform involving both human medicine and the agriculture sector in an interdisciplinary and integrated approach to tackle what is very much a common problem. This approach combined with concerted actions at the national level that span policy and regulatory spheres, preventive actions and engagement with producers and other food value chain stakeholders are needed to prevent and reduce AMR.
Detailed guidance was provided on developing the aquaculture component of the National Action Plans (NAP) on AMR covering the four focus areas of FAO's Action Plan on AMR: awareness, governance (NAP), evidence (usage and surveillance) and practice (prudent use). National delegates will further develop the action plans, disseminate the scientific information delivered during the workshop and create awareness of AMR issues among national stakeholders.

Titus R. Ngateh’s new book Born With A Vision: A Gift of Love ($15.49, paperback 9781498485746; $7.99, eBook, 9781498485753) is the inspiring story of a young man’s struggle to beat the odds following the sudden death of his father, and his determination to leave the tragic past behind. Poverty compounded by the Liberian Civil War was a force he not only had to reckon with, but would he live to see his family also trapped in the fighting elsewhere in the country? In the midst of this horrible event, he held on to his faith in God, the Faith his late father had instilled in him as a young boy. Tragedies in the families, including the deaths of an older brother, an uncle, and two friends in the war, had taught him a hard lesson.
Ngateh says, “This book is relevant in today’s culture in that while my story occurred on the other side of the globe, it is just as relatable as in the streets of Chicago or Atlanta. One can, for instance, see homelessness, crime, unemployment, single parents battling over the issues of survivability to remain relevant in the community they live. The condition of the orphanage that remains one of the fundamental headaches in the world, leaves humanity hopeless, some of which are caused by civil unrest, extreme poverty and other man-made disasters. Places like Iraq, Libya, the Sudan, the Middle East, Syria, Egypt, Mali, Somalia, and other troubled spots in the world, are just a few classic examples of the endless human situations in a world that appears, falling apart. It was the same with what happened in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and in countries that are currently undergoing various forms of chaos.”
Titus R. Ngateh was born in Liberia, West Africa. He fled the Liberian civil war and resettled in the United States in 2003. His adopted parents followed later, in 2004. He attended high school in Guinea, West Africa. He was a student at the America, Episcopal University AMU, 2001-2002. He has attended colleges in Maryland, and New York respectively. He is now a graduate of Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Psychology, at Argosy University, Atlanta Georgia.
Xulon Press, a division of Salem Media Group, is the world’s largest Christian self-publisher, with more than 12,000 titles published to date. Retailers may order Born With A Vision: A Gift of Love through Ingram Book Company and/or Spring Arbor Book Distributors. The book is available online through xulonpress.com/bookstore, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com.

Key financial figures slightly down overall in 9M 2016 - Group result expected to rise significantly due to special effects - Fraport's international portfolio achieves mixed results
FRA/gk-rap - In the first three quarters of the 2016 business year, the Fraport Group achieved revenue of €1.94 billion (adjusted for IFRIC 12), thus continuing its positive performance from the previous year. The Group's operating result or EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) slightly declined by two percent to €677 million in the first nine months, while the Group result dropped nine percent to €239 million. Likewise, operating cash flow reduced by five percent to around €500 million in the first nine months. As a result, free cash flow decreased by 20 percent to €310 million, also reflecting higher capital expenditure for property, plant and equipment at Frankfurt Airport.
Fraport's financial performance has been impacted in particular by the current geopolitical situation, which has led in part to marked declines in passenger traffic both at Fraport's home-base Frankfurt Airport and, especially, at individual Group airports within Fraport's international portfolio. From January to September 2016, a total of 46.7 million passengers passed through Frankfurt Airport (FRA), down 1.2 percent. Cargo throughput (airfreight + airmail, excluding transfer cargo) rose by 1.1 percent to 1.55 million metric tons, reflecting the slight recovery in the global economy.
Commenting on the Group's business performance, Fraport AG's executive board chairman, Dr. Stefan Schulte, pointed out the challenging market environment in which the company is operating: "As a globally linked industry, aviation is particularly affected by current geopolitical conflicts and risks. And Fraport is not entirely immune to these developments. Therefore, it is even more important that our Group operates a broadly diversified portfolio, which we expect to generate considerable positive effects over the business year as a whole."
"Equally important is the fact that growth trends continue to be intact in the aviation industry. Overall, Fraport has achieved robust performance during the first nine months of 2016, despite challenging market conditions." In view of the ongoing slowdown in air travel demand as a result of geopolitical factors - which became manifest particularly during the summer peak months - Fraport is maintaining its outlook for the full year (as updated after the first half of 2016) and is still expecting a slight decline in year-on-year passenger traffic at FRA.
The fourth quarter of 2016 will see positive special effects as a result of payments received from the Manila and St. Petersburg projects. In Manila, the 14-year-long expropriation lawsuit was successfully concluded. The payment granted to Fraport as a result of the settlement is expected to have a net effect of some €120 million on the Group result (after tax). In addition, the transaction from the partial sale of Fraport's share in its St. Petersburg subsidiary was concluded in October 2016. This will have a positive influence on the Group result in the amount of about €35 million. CEO Schulte said: "The partial sale of our share in St. Petersburg has demonstrated that we are not only able to buy airports or concessions, but that we can also boost their attractiveness amid difficult market environments, even enabling us to sell them for a profit."
For the full year 2016, Fraport now expects EBITDA to reach between approximately €1.04 billion and up to approximately €1.08 billion (instead of the previously expected range of €850 million to €880 million). Due to the two special effects, the Group result is expected to increase noticeably to a range of about €400 million up to approximately €440 million (before, the Group result was expected to slightly exceed the previous year's level of €297 million).
Fraport AG's international portfolio of airports reported mixed results in the first three quarters of 2016. Group airports in Ljubljana (Slovenia), Antalya (Turkey), St. Petersburg (Russia), and Hanover (Germany) recorded declining passenger numbers, largely due to geopolitical framework conditions. In contrast, Fraport's airports in Lima (Peru), Burgas and Varna (both Bulgaria), as well as Xi'an (China) achieved double-digit growth rates in the first three quarters of 2016.
Aviation: Revenue in the Aviation segment shrank by 1.9 percent to €793.3 million in the first nine months of 2016. Among other things, the segment's revenue was negatively impacted by declining passenger traffic at Frankfurt Airport. With operating expenses remaining almost level, the segment's EBITDA contracted by 4.6 percent to €192.4 million. Due to slightly higher depreciation and amortization, the segment's EBIT fell 12 percent to €98.5 million.
Retail & Real Estate: Revenue in the Retail & Real Estate segment improved by four percent to €370.9 million. The growth was primarily driven by higher revenue from sales of land, which more than compensated for the decline in revenue of the retail sub-segment. The slowdown in the retail business reflects a number of factors, including decreased passenger numbers at FRA, a change in the passenger mix, and a more restrained spending behavior per passenger on average - partly attributable to currency exchange-rate effects. Correspondingly, net retail revenue per passenger dropped to €3.38 (from €3.49 in the previous year). Segment EBITDA slipped by 1.5 percent to €281.9 million, due to higher operating expenses. With depreciation and amortization almost level, the segment's EBIT reached €218.5 million (down 2.3 percent).
Ground Handling: Revenue in the Ground Handling segment contracted by 7.6 percent year-on-year to €478.2 million, primarily due to the sale of Fraport's share in its former FCS cargo subsidiary. Adjusted by this one-off effect, the segment would have seen an increase in revenue of 1.8 percent. Despite declining passenger numbers at FRA, segment EBITDA grew by €4.4 million to €44.9 million. This was largely a result of lower personnel expenses and cost of materials in connection with the sale of the FCS stake in 2015. Triggered by this effect, the segment's EBIT soared by 59.8 percent to €15.5 million.
External Activities & Services: Segment revenue increased by 8.2 percent to €417.3 million in the first nine months of 2016. Growth was stimulated by a rise in passenger traffic at the Group's airports in Lima, Peru, and the two Bulgarian airports in Burgas and Varna, as well as higher revenue achieved at the company's AMU Holdings subsidiary in the U.S. The segment's EBITDA, on the other hand, shrank by 1.7 percent to €157.5 million. This was due to a one-off effect in the previous year (extra revenue from the sale of the Air-Transport IT Services subsidiary in the U.S.) and a rise in operating expenses for service activities at FRA. With depreciation and amortization down slightly, the segment's EBIT declined by 1.4 percent to €97.2 million.
The Group Interim Report can be found here.
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